


i draw my sword (with the morning sun)

by poweradequeen



Series: tumblr prompts [3]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Medieval, F/M, Fluff, Mutual Pining, prompt from my tumblr
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-24
Updated: 2020-06-24
Packaged: 2021-03-04 07:14:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,500
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24889726
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/poweradequeen/pseuds/poweradequeen
Summary: taang one shot set in a medieval autitle from east by sleeping at last
Relationships: Aang/Toph Beifong
Series: tumblr prompts [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1796524
Comments: 2
Kudos: 33





	i draw my sword (with the morning sun)

**Author's Note:**

> prompt: medieval au

“ _I’m_ supposed to be _your_ royal guard!” Aang yelled.

“And you're doing _such_ a good job!” Toph smiled. She waved the sword in her hand around wildly, it made Aang’s anxiety spike drastically. “I’m alive and uninjured! Look at you go.”

“I’m going to pretend that wasn’t sarcasm and take the compliment.” Aang took _his_ sword from Toph’s hand. He stepped over the unconscious body of Toph’s victim. 

“You could do that, but I thought you didn’t like lying?” Toph laughed, she followed Aang through the woods. The rough terrain being hard for her to navigate. “How do we even _know_ I’m the ‘lost princess’?”

“One, you're blind,” Aang paused to guide her over a large fallen tree. “Two, you're the right age, and three, who’s to say you aren’t.”

“Aang willing to lie?” Toph asked in fake astonishment. “And to the authorities nonetheless? Who are you?”

“You literally have the flying boar inscription on your wrist. A clear indication that you are the Beifong heiress. I wouldn’t be lying and even if I was, I need the money. Believe it or not, being a guard doesn’t pay that well.”

“I wouldn’t think so,” Toph agreed. “It being so easy and all.”

“Okay, just because you saved my life back there doesn’t mean you can call my job ‘easy’,” Aang said. “There’s a lot of training that goes into it.”

“And I bet it’s probably horrible for your moral compass, having to hurt people,” Toph brought up. She placed her hand on the trees, feeling the patterns in the bark. 

“Yeah, don’t remind me. It’s hard enough without someone bringing it up.”

“Well, I mean if you just gave me a sword you wouldn’t have to protect me,” Toph suggested. She made a reach for Aang’s sword, he saw and put a hand out to stop her.

“I don’t think that would end up well,” Aang laughed. “For obvious reasons.” 

“I handled myself pretty well back there,” Toph defended herself. “And if you were to teach me, I’m sure that I’d be able to do it.”

“Princess Beifong,” Toph cringed at the title. It was especially horrible coming out of Aang’s mouth. “It isn’t very proper for a woman to know how to swordfight.”

“Do you think anything I’ve done so far is _proper_?” Toph asked. 

“Well, no,” Aang lifted a low branch up so Toph could walk past. “But I doubt your parents would like you to know something like that.”

“My parents don’t make my decisions for me. I _am_ autonomous in case you’ve forgotten.” Toph crossed her arms. She refused to walk any further. Aang sighed.

“Do you really want to know how to swordfight?” Aang asked. Silently pleading for her to say _‘no, this was all just a joke, funny right?’_

“Yes, I do,” Toph confirmed Aangs worst fears.

“Alright, there’s a town a little ways away with a good armoury. We can get you a better suited sword than mine,” Aang smiled when he saw Toph’s eyes widen in wonder. He _would not_ fall for her. He made himself promise that when he met her. He was learning that not all promises could be kept, and when love was involved, everything would get more complicated.

Toph walked with new motivation and fervour. Anxiously anticipating getting a sword of her own. She could just imagine the feel of a weapon in her hands, evenly waited. Cold steel against the warmth of her skin. The fluidity of motion when swinging it. The clash of metal against metal during a fight. It was a whole world she had yet to discover, and she wanted to be adventurous. 

The deal sweetened knowing that Aang would be teaching her. At first, when they met, he seemed dainty. She didn’t think he’d ever be able to protect. He definitely wouldn’t be able to get her across the continent to the kingdom, but Aang surprised her. He was caring and genuine and unlike anyone she’s ever met. It was refreshing, he didn’t make her feel less than anyone else because she was blind. He treated her like a person, a real person that could handle themselves. 

To everyone that knew Toph, they knew she didn’t like to admit she was vulnerable. She would never admit to needing help sometimes. She would also never admit to having feelings. It grew more and more apparent every day that she and Aang spent together she was falling a little harder. Every time he would grab her hand to lead her through a particularly rough patch of earth. Every time he would read her what was written somewhere in the towns they passed through. 

They didn’t even have to make camp in the forest that night before they made it to the armoury. If Toph had been able to see at that moment she was sure she would have fainted. She had a vague sense of how large the armoury was, she was amazed. Aang looked at her, the amazed look on her face. Looking at her observing the swords and daggers and chainmail, Aang had a sudden realization. He was in love with Princess Toph Beifong, heiress to the largest Kingdom in the world. _Oh no_.

Toph paused in front of a sword in the corner, it looked old. A little beaten, but it intrigued Toph. She reached out and picked it up. It felt good in her hands. Evenly weighted in her hands. It was perfect. “This one. I want this one.”

“Are you sure? That doesn’t seem like it would hold up,” Aang said, looking at the rust that had settled on the blade. 

“I’m sure. I want this one,” Toph confirmed. Aang took it to the clerk, purchasing it for a low price due to its conditions. He also bought a vinegar scrub to clean the rust off of it.

“Why do you want this old thing? It seems like you’ve got a perfectly good sword already. Why waste time on this piece of junk?” The clerk asked. 

“I don’t know,” Aang said, he spared a glance back at Toph. It just seemed to confirm his love for her. Aang definitely broke his promise, but he wasn’t that mad at it. “It just feels right.”

“Well, suit yourself. Happy to get rid of that old thing.” Aang and Toph left the armoury. They rented a room at the local inn and Aang got to work showing Toph how to properly care for a sword. 

He helped her clean the rust off, guiding her hands. They were soft, uncalloused, unlike his. They were nimble, but Aang knew exactly what danger they could bring. The power they held, the chaos they could wreak. She paused, her hands halting. 

“What’s wrong?” Aang asked. He was concerned, it was cute in Toph’s opinion.

“When I get back to the Kingdom,” Toph said, “ _my_ kingdom, will you still be there?”

It was rare to see Toph vulnerable, or emotional, but here she was. She was asking Aang if he’d still be there even after she returned home. She was so open in that moment.

“You’d still want me there?” Aang asked. “Even after being stuck with me for so long?”

“Yes, I would,” even when she was vulnerable, she was confident.

“I’d love to stay, but I don’t know if your parents would want me to stay,” Aang said. “I do work as a soldier in another kingdom.”

“Oh, okay.” Aang could hear the sadness in her voice. It broke his heart a million times over. 

“But, I’m sure that I could find another occupation if you wanted me to stay.”

“I wouldn’t want to burden you with staying,” Toph said quickly, putting her walls back up. Steeling herself.

“If it were for you, it wouldn’t be a burden. Princess Beifong,” Aang paused.

“Please don’t call me that, we’re well past that stage. Call me Toph.”

“Toph,” Aang corrected himself. “I love you.”

She inhaled sharply. Her eyes widened. “You love me?”

“Yes, I do. I’m sorry,” Aang apologized. “I didn’t want it to happen, but the more we were together, the harder it was to ignore.”

Toph had always been a bit impulsive, she never wanted to regret not doing something. She cupped Aang’s cheeks in her hands–soft, delicate, but deadly–and kissed him. 

“Don’t apologize for that, Aang,” Toph smiled. “It was outside of your control, besides the feeling is mutual.”

“Now, I _really_ don’t think you're parents will like me,” Aang laughed.

“Why not?”

“Well, I got their daughter, the princess, to fall in love with me, a soldier from another kingdom.”

“That shouldn’t matter,” Toph said.

“Status matters, whether we like it or not. Your parents probably won’t approve of us,” Aang replied, his tone was gentle, comforting.

“Well if they don’t approve of us, I can always run away,” Toph joked. “If I did would you come looking for me?”

“I’d follow you to the ends of the earth, Toph Beifong.”

**Author's Note:**

> thanks for reading! check out my tumblr [@saang](https://saang.tumblr.com)


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